Lessons from Surah Kahf

بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Lessons from Surah Kahf  -By  Shayk Waleed  Basyouni

Whoever reflects upon Surat Al-Kahf will know that its meanings carry what would be incredibly beneficial for them in protecting them from the trials of this world and security from the dajjal. That is why its recitation was legislated every Friday out of Allah's wisdom and mercy.
Surat Al-Kahf encompasses four stories, four different types of trials (fitan) and four causes of salvation:

1) The companions of the cave: The fitnah of religion.
Their story was of believing youth who were living amongst disbelievers and committed to migrate and flee with their religion after a clash between them and their people. Allah sufficed them with the mercy of the cave. When they awoke they found their entire community had become believers.
Their salvation: Righteous companionship.

2) The owner of the two gardens: The fitnah of wealth and children
The story of a man whom Allah blessed but forgot that blessing and belittled it. He was arrogant and didn't thank Allah for the blessings though his companion reminded him. When his wealth was destroyed he was remorseful when remorse didn't count!
Salvation from that trial: Knowing the reality of the dunya

3) Musa and Khadr: The fitnah of knowledge.
The story of Musa when he was asked about who the most knowledgeable person on earth was and he responded saying "me," without referring that knowledge back to Allah, and so Allah revealed to him that indeed there was. Musa then traveled to learn from that person that the Divine Wisdom could be incomprehensible at times, but the One designing it is All-Wise. Like the harming of the ship for example.
Salvation from that trial: Humility

4) The story of Dhul Qarnain = The fitnah of power
The story of a great ruler who was given both knowledge and power and traveled the earth relieving hardship and spreading goodness. He solved the problem of Yajuj and Majuj by sealing them in the earth and in doing so was able to mobilize the resources of a people who could hardly understand his speech!
Salvation from that trial: Sincerity

 What is the connection of Surat AlKahf to the Dajjal?

The dajjal will arrive with four trials:
1) He will demand that he be worshiped by the people (The fitnah of religion)
2) He will command the sky to rain and will be a trial of the people due to the amount of wealth he will possess (The fitnah of wealth)
3) He will be a trial for the people regarding the information he will possess and relay (The fitnah of knowledge)
4) He will have control over many parts of the world (The fitnah of power)

Here are some protection duas/methods from fitna of Dajjal

1. Fitna of Aqeedah/Imaan

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

When the youths took refuge in the Cave, and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance." (18:10)

2. Fitna of wealth

When you see prosperity in anything say

مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ 

If only you had said, when you entered your garden, ‘This is by Allah’s Will; there is no power except with Allah.’ Even though you see me inferior to you in wealth and children (18:39)

3. Fitna of knowledge

 When a learned man is asked, "Who is the most learned person." it is better for him to attribute or entrust absolute knowledge to Allah 'Azza wa Jall and to say. "Allah is the Most Learned (than anybody else)" 

 الْعِلْمَ إِلَى اللَّهِ

  مَا نَقَصَ عِلْمِي وَعِلْمُكَ مِنْ عِلْمِ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ كَنَقْرَةِ هَذَا الْعُصْفُورِ فِي الْبَحْرِ

Al-Khadir said: "O Moses! My knowledge and your knowledge have not decreased Allah's knowledge except as much as this sparrow has decreased the water of the sea with its beak." https://sunnah.com/bukhari:122 , https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4725

4. Fitnah of power

Be Just when provided with power
When ALLAH azwajal said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either punish them or treat them with kindness."

He(Dhul-Qarnayn) said, “As for one who does wrong, we will punish him, then he will be brought back to his Lord, and He will punish him grievously.

But he who believes and does righteous deeds, he will have the best reward, and we will enjoin upon him to do what is easy.” (18:87-88)

5. In every prayer after the final Tashahhud before ending the prayer, seeking the protection of Allah from the trials of Dajjal. https://sunnah.com/muslim:588g ,https://sunnah.com/nasai:5457
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ وَفِتْنَةِ الدَّجَّالِ 

6. Memorize the first ten verses from Sūrat al-Kahf 

Abu Darda' reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:

If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the Surah al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal.

https://sunnah.com/muslim:809

The causes of salvation related in the surah:
1) Righteous companionship
And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect. (Kahf v. 28)

2) Knowing the reality of this world
And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability (Kahf v. 45)
3) Humility
[Moses] said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order." (Kahf v. 69)

4) Sincerity
Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone." (Kahf v. 110)
May Allah protect all of us from the fitnah of the dajjal, and all fitan those apparent and those hidden.

Source:
https://www.facebook.com/ShaykhWaleedBasyouni/posts/10153031436085734
https://www.facebook.com/ShaykhWaleedBasyouni/posts/10153031914065734